Seek Wise Advice – Summit Life Today: Friday, January 27, 2012

One of the valuable lessons I’ve learned in life is: “Always be well prepared, but also be very flexible and teachable. Things don’t always go as planned.” In order to do anything with excellence or achieve success, you must be well prepared. Sometimes that preparation actually comes as the result of life lessons learned from not preparing well in the past. We tend to learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. Have you ever noticed how dynamic and unpredictable life situations can be from one day to the next? There have been many occasions in which I’ve approached a problem like it was tic-tac-toe only to discover it to be more like Rubik’s Cube!   Some projects can look simple until we start working them. It’s only then that we discover a hidden dimension of complexity. We find ourselves having to take a step back to adjust both our plans and our expectations. Here is a helpful wisdom passage to take to heart:

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:20-21 NLT)

Who are your wise counselors? Can you name them? We need to plan well but learn to hold our best plans loosely enough in order to always be ready to yield and adjust to God’s better plan. Be sure to plan like it all depends on you but execute your plan realizing it all depends on God. He will work in your plans, through your plans and in spite of your plans, to accomplish His purpose. We only truly accomplish the best when our plans line up with His plans and purpose for our lives.

Bench Depth – Summit Life Today: Thursday, January 26, 2012

Having sufficient bench depth is crucial for every kind of team. How many times have you seen a star player get injured and then the team can’t win without him? This can happen at all levels of sports and in every kind of business. If you rely too heavily on any one player, you are not in a good position to consistently win in the long run. You must intentionally give special attention to developing all of your players. It’s the only way for you to have the right talent depth on your bench. All great coaches and leaders do this. There is a wonderful Old Testament passage in Exodus 18 that addresses this very point. I call it “The Jethro Principle.”

When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?… “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out-and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.” (Exodus 18:14, 17-18 NLT)

Now what if the key player is you? If you get all the playing time, that certainly isn’t good for the overall strength and depth of your team. Let’s face it, others on your team may not perform at your level and do things as well as you. But here’s the basic rule of thumb for developing members of your team to be able to step into your shoes. If they can perform at about 80 percent as well as you, it would be worth investing in developing them. The best way to develop them is to give them “playing time in a real game.” In order to do this successfully, you must be secure in yourself as a leader. Insecurity will cause you to feel threatened by the idea of developing someone who could replace you. Only mature and secure leaders can do this. Let me encourage you to embrace the truth that you are incomplete as a leader. You need other people to complete and compliment you. Once you embrace this fact of leadership, you will freely pour yourself into others to make them better. When they get better, your team is stronger. You have sufficient bench depth.

Video Post: Dave McAuley introduces Matt Overby

It is hard to believe Matt Overby has been a part of the Summit Leadership Foundation Staff for nearly one month now, but he has and we are already reaping the benefits of having one more team member. As many of you know, Matt came on board as Executive Director due to an increase in the need for our services (Connecting, Consulting, Coaching & Caring).

Watch this video from the first of January for Dave McAuley & Matt Overby to explain a bit further:

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Wisdom – Summit Life Today: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

In recent years the market value of Silver and Gold has increased significantly. Investors find comfort in the stability of these precious metals in the midst of uncertain or volatile global conditions. Silver and Gold are often used as a safety net strategy in a financial portfolio. They provide an added sense of security and protection to help offset the risk of potential loss in other investments.

So, is there any better investment than Silver and Gold to help protect you in challenging times? According to King Solomon, there is:

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. (Proverbs 3:13-15 NLT)

There is nothing more valuable and secure than godly wisdom. Let me challenge you today to be intentional about investing in wisdom. Consistently read God’s Word, prayerfully reflect on His truth, and humbly seek godly wisdom from others you respect. A daily “cost averaging” investment approach to gaining wisdom is guaranteed to pay eternal dividends that will never lose their value. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Ability and Humility – Summit Life Today: January 23, 2012

Leadership ability must be filled with humility. Humility is the ground wire that protects you when lightning strikes. Storms happen. Your leadership ability is not tested by fair weather but rather in the storms that come your way. Do you handle the toughest challenges with grace and humility? The people around you also have storms to deal with in their own lives. One of the greatest tests of good and godly leadership is in how you treat people around you when they fail the test of a storm in their life. Here’s what the Apostle Paul has to say about this very issue:

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. (Galatians 6:1-3 NLT)

Doing this well will increase your level of influence with others to new heights. However, failing to practice this principle will most certainly erode your effectiveness as a leader. You must choose to do this well in order to not only grow your capacity as a leader but to also help others recover and grow as well. Are you ready for the next storm? It’s coming!

“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”
~Vincent Van Gogh 

In God We Trust – Summit Life Today: January 18, 2012

“In God we trust” is written on all our coins and paper currency in the United States of America. You are most likely carrying that phrase with you right now so go ahead and check your coins and bills. You’ll find it printed somewhere on each one. Have you ever paid it much attention? Even with modern political debate as to whether or not our currency should bear the mention of God, it’s still a declaration of our nation. In tough economic times and financial uncertainty, there is a particular irony to having that phrase on America’s currency. It is however a wisdom principle taught in the book of Proverbs. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT) This is an amazing leadership principle that will serve you well. It is also a valuable mindset if you are ever facing challenging and uncertain situations. My guess is; you are probably dealing with some type of uncertain situation in your life today or have someone close to you who is. Take a minute to read the words of Proverbs 3:5-6 again very slowly. Let the hope and promise of this passage wash over you and give you peace and confidence in your Heavenly Father’s love for you. What challenge are you facing today? Now, re-write this passage as a personal affirmation with that situation named within it: “Lord, I’m trusting you with all my heart to ________________ ; I’m not depending on my own understanding anymore. I’m seeking your will in this situation and trusting you to guide me in the right path forward.” Who do you need to encourage today by sharing with them this wisdom principle about trusting God? “God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.” ~ Elisabeth Elliot

The Fruit of the Spirit – Summit Life Today: January 17, 2012

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control...this is a pretty good list of qualities to value and apply.  In Galatians 5:22-23, this list actually describes what the Apostle Paul calls“The Fruit of the Spirit”.

 It’s important to note that the word “Fruit” is singular and not plural.  This list of qualities capture the essence of the totality of what the Holy Spirit desires to produce in and through us.  If I were to ask you to describe an apple, you might describe its color, texture, taste, juiciness, aroma, size, seeds, etc.  You would use different words to describe each aspect of the apple but it would be just one apple.  When the Holy Spirit produces “Fruit” in our lives, people who encounter us should describe it as “Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control”.  Each quality is inter-reliant on the others with the intention to be expressed collectively in our lives.  So, that being said, how is your fruit measuring up?

That’s the question we tend to ask, but it is absolutely the wrong question!  Our fruit will never measure up to “The Fruit of the Spirit.”  I remember walking through an arts and crafts supply store one day and seeing a display of paraffin fruit that looked very real.  The thought occurred to me that when I try to manufacture “The Fruit of the Spirit” in my life, it may look like the real thing from a distance, but it won’t pass the “taste test”.  Only the Holy Spirit can produce God’s fruit in your life, real fruit that has all the qualities He desires to produce in and through us.

 As leaders, we are influencers.  Just imagine the positive influence you could have in people’s lives if they tasted the sweetness of Holy Spirit’s fruit because of you.  Begin the process of bearing “The Fruit of the Spirit” in your life by simply asking God to do it in you and through you by His power and not by your own effort.  You will be amazed by what the Holy Spirit can do through you as you present yourself to be used by Him.

Leading to serve,

Dave McAuley

Founder & President

 

“Let us take care that we exhibit our Master, and not ourselves, so that we can say, It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.”

~ Charles Spurgeon

Attitude is Everything – Monday, January 16, 2012

Summit Life Today January 16, 2012   Attitude is everything! A bad attitude in just one person can be like poison to a group. On the other hand, a positive and encouraging attitude can lift an entire group to a new level of belief and anticipation. Have you ever caught yourself with a bad attitude? A negative perspective will always tend to find negative patterns, which in turn validates our pre-conceived notions. A bad attitude can be self-fulfilling and very hard to change. It’s a trap! Don’t allow yourself to get caught in the downward spiral of a bad attitude and certainly don’t take others with you. Philippians 2:5 presents this challenge: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” (NASB) The passage goes on to describe the humility and obedience of Jesus to do what God was calling Him to do, no matter the cost. So how do you change a bad attitude in yourself or others? The first step is to identify it and name it. It takes a lot of humility to admit wrong thinking. Secondly, since “perception is reality”, in order to change a bad attitude you have to change how you perceive the people and circumstances around you. Your bad attitude not only affects the way you act but it influences the way other people act toward you. So, the only way to change your perception is for you to help bring change to the circumstances around you. Changing your “actions” is the best way to begin changing your “attitude”. If you begin to act differently, you will begin to think differently and others around you will begin to act differently as well. It’s the self-discipline of simply doing the right thing no matter what the cost. It’s following the example of Jesus by being humble and obedient. Challenge yourself today to not only have a good attitude yourself, but to be instrumental in influencing the attitudes of others in a positive way. Leading to serve,   Dave McAuley Founder & President “I don’t like that man.  I must get to know him better.” ~Abraham Lincoln

Invest In Those Who Will Invest In Others – Thursday, January 12, 2012

Summit Life Today January 12, 2012

Compounding is a valuable principle in investing. When you compound interest, dividends or profits by reinvesting them, you start making profits on your profits. The Apostle Paul taught the principle of compounding to Timothy when he instructed him on how to make wise investments in people: “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT) Paul was simply stating that investing our time in teaching and developing others is as much a matter of stewardship as investing financially. We need to invest wisely in those that will produce the most return. Paul describes them here with such words as “reliable” and “trustworthy”. John C. Maxwell teaches “The Law of Attraction” which simply states we tend to attract people like ourselves. People are attracted to others with the same beliefs, values and character. So, if you want to attract reliable and trustworthy people to invest in, you yourself must be that type of person. The principle is perpetual and the compounding is generational if the investment is wisely made in the right people. Can you name the people you have chosen to invest in today because you believe them to be reliable and trustworthy? Leading to Serve, Dave McAuley Founder & President “Few delights can equal the presence of one whom we trust utterly.” ~ George MacDonald

Think “Next Generation” – Tuesday, January 11, 2012

Summit Life Today January 11, 2012

Building a legacy begins with keeping the next generation in mind. Too often we are shortsighted in our goals and confine our expectations to their impact in the foreseeable future. If we can train ourselves to think “Next Generation” in all that we do, our impact will last well beyond our lifetime. I saw this lived out in my Grandfather who was a true servant leader by investing in the lives of others. His legacy lives on today through the children of those he influenced. The Jewish people had this instilled in them through the repeating of the Shema recorded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9… “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”   The fundamental truth that all Israelites needed to embrace was their commitment to love God with all their heart, soul and might and not chase after the false gods of the other nations. As long as Israel did this, God would bless them as a nation. Some generations fulfilled this commitment and some did not, but there was always a “remnant” in each generation who would pass this on to their children. They knew this truth was timeless and they were building a legacy by pouring themselves into the next generation. Are you being this intentional about building your legacy today? Leading to Serve, Dave McAuley Founder & President  “Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.” ~ Rev. Billy Graham